Transgender people may be more at risk of developing certain diseases, according to an analysis of Munich Re Canada. Transgender people have a gender identity different to that assigned to the sex assigned at birth, what we call » gender dysphoria «. Some of them will then decide to take hormones or undergo sex reassignment surgery in order to alleviate gender dysphoria.

According to the study, transgender people who want to go under hormone therapy for a sex change may develop side effects that increase certain risks. Transgender women who take estrogen are at risk of developing of hypertriglyceridemia (increased triglycerides in the blood), and hyperprolactinemia (increased prolactin in the blood).

According to Munich Re, transgender people have higher rates of mortality, but there is no link between hormone therapy and the latter. In fact, mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and suicide are common among transgender people. Infections that are transmitted sexually and by blood (ITSS), including HIV, are also common.

However, the reinsurer said that, according to a systematic review of 28 studies, 78 % of transgender people who have completed a gender reassignment (hormone therapy with or without sex reassignment surgery) have noticed an improvement of the psychological symptoms of gender dysphoria. In addition, 80% said they noticed an improvement in the quality of life.

Conditions related to sexual health

In the 19th century, the gender dysphoria was considered to be an entity described here. Since the 20th century, the term further and further away from the concept of mental illness. In its 11th version of the international statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (ICD-11), theworld health Organization (WHO) will remove the gender dysphoria of his chapter on «mental and behavioral disorders» and place the term in a new chapter dealing with the » conditions related to sexual health «.

As well, gender dysphoria is no longer considered a mental health disorder, but rather the end result of a complex interaction of biological factors and socio-environmental.

25 million transgender people in the world

In addition, according to the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy from the University of Los Angeles, it is estimated that 0.6 % of the u.s. population is transgender. If we transposed this figure overall, there are approximately 25 million transgender people in the world.